School Teacher Back to Work After a Terrifying Compromised Surgery

My name is Marcia,

I'm in my mid 50's, a wife, mother, grandmother and veteran educator. I was very excited to have cosmetic surgery to rejuvenate my tired looking eyes and get rid of the wrinkles that defined my grandmotherly appearance. Basically, I wanted to look as young as I feel inside.

 

On June 6, 2007, surgery was performed on my brow and cheeks, and also included laser skin resurfacing. Recovery seemed normal the first week after surgery. Then my forehead and temples appeared bright red and were extremely sensitive to the touch. My surgeon ordered a lab analysis of a culture of the tissue on my forehead and the results were positive for a bacterial infection. Although the recovery was normal for the brow and cheek lift, my healing response to the skin resurfacing was greatly compromised.

 

My surgeon immediately prescribed an antibiotic for the infection. Because my recovery had come to a standstill, he also prescribed H.B.O.T. In fact, as I sat in his examining room, the doctor contacted Hyperbaric Recovery and made an appointment for me that very day, 12 days post-op, and two appointments for the following day. I felt alarmed at the immediacy of this action, thinking my situation was desperate, and frightened about the possibility of very serious complications.

 

My heart thumped and my head was bowed, hiding my fire-red, swollen face, as I walked into Hyperbaric Recovery. My fear immediately eased as I walked into the spa-like, state of the art clinic, which, in no way, resembled a medical facility. The staff was welcoming and warm, and demonstrated assurance and empathy toward me and my situation.

 

On that first visit, my face was bright red from the laser resurfacing, and my forehead and temples were a dark, angry red and extremely tender to the touch. Under my eyes, the dark red skin was scabbing, but oozing. After the next three visits, the pain in my forehead and temples lessened, the lesions under my eyes had healed, and flesh-tone marbling began on my cheeks, at my hairline, and around my eyelids, mouth and upper lip. My bright red face had begun to fade to a bright pink.

On the seventh visit, flesh-tone marbling had spread over my face and was beginning to develop on my forehead. My forehead and temples showed no sign of infection and were only moderately sensitive to the touch.